First published in 1908, the brilliance of this superb novel is undiminished. A love story, or rather two, that starts in the Pension Bertolini in Florence. Catering for English tourists, it’s a location designed for human comedy. Forster is funny, subtle and kind. He’s also acerbic – those who profess ‘culture’ receive acid drops, as do the snobs, damned out of their own mouths. Time and again the writing is so good, and sometimes so surprising, that the reader pauses to reread and savour. Hugely enjoyable.
